accommodation is equilibrative process whereby an individual modifies his or her cognitive schemas to fit relevant new aspects of the environment (cf. assimilation; see equilibration)
assimilation is equilibrative process whereby an individual incorporates new information into existing cognitive schemas (cf. accommodation; see equilibration)
centration is the tendency of children to focus all their thought processes on one perceptually salient aspect of an object, situation, or problem, to the exclusion of other aspects that may be relevant
cognitive development is the diverse changes in thinking that occur across the life span, in association with increasing physiological maturity (maturation) and experience (learning)
concrete operations are Piagetian stage during which children (roughly ages 7 through 12 years) become proficient in mentally manipulating their internal representations of concrete objects
conservation is the ability to keep in mind the stability of a given quantity despite observed changes in the appearance of an object or a substance
dynamic assessment environment is a context for examination in which an examiner responds distinctively when a child gives an incorrect answer, offering the child a graded series of hints to guide the child toward the correct answer (cf. static assessment environment; see zone of proximal development)
egocentric is characteristic in which children focus largely on themselves and on their own perspective; over the course of development, children become decreasingly egocentric and thereby better able to see things from the perspective of others
equilibration is a process of cognitively adapting to the environment, whereby an individual works to maintain a state of cognitive equilibrium (balance), even in the face of new information (see assimilation, accommodation)
formal-operational stage is Piagetian stage during which children (roughly starting at age 12 years) become proficient in mentally manipulating their internal representations not only of concrete objects but also of abstract symbols
information-processing theorists are cognitive psychologists who seek to understand cognition (or other psychological phenomena) in terms of how people engage in various cognitive processes, such as decoding, encoding, storing, and retrieving information in various forms (e.g., images, propositions, or symbols)
internalizaton is a Vigotskyan process whereby individuals incorporate into themselves knowledge that they gain through their interaction within a social context
object permanence is a cognitive awareness that objects continue to exist even when the objects are not immediately perceptible through the senses
performance theory is theoretical perspective emphasizing what people typically do (cf. competence theory)
plasticity is a characteristic of human cognition, whereby people appear to be able to modify their cognitive processes and products, improving their effectiveness at the tasks they face
preoperational stage is Piagetian stage during which a child (roughly 2 to 7 years of age) begins actively to develop internal mental representations and to use language as a means of cognitive manipulation, as well as communication
representational thought is cognitive processes by which people form internal representations (symbolic or imaginal depictions) of external stimuli
reversible is characteristic of processes that can be undone, once they have been done (e.g., pouring liquid from one container to another and then back again)
sensorimotor stage is Piagetian stage during which an infant (roughly from birth to age 2 years) gradually adapts motor output (e.g., reflexes) in response to sensory input, to serve the intentional goals of the infant; involves increases in both the number and the complexity of sensory and motor abilities
static assessment environment is a typical context for examination in which an examiner makes no effort to respond distinctively when a child gives an incorrect answer, proceeding instead to the next question in the test (cf. dynamic assessment environment)
wisdom is broadly defined as extraordinary insight, keen awareness, and exceptional judgment
zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the range of ability between a child's existing undeveloped potential ability (competence) and the child's observed ability (performance)